HOT Topics

Health & Extreme Heat

With temperatures soaring in the 90's and 100's across the state heat related illness is a serious concern. The following resources contain information to help Tennesseans stay healthy during the summer heat.

• Extreme Heat - US Department of Health & Human Services
• "It's Too Darn Hot", Planning for Excessive Heat Events - US Environmental Protection Agency
• Heat Related Illness - Tennessee Department of Health

Buy Locally Grown Tomatoes

Concerned about the safety of tomatoes and other produce? Buy locally grown tomatoes. It helps the local economy and Tennessee grown tomatoes have not been implicated in the nationwide salmonellosis outbreak.

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a nationwide warning to consumers about a possible link between a recent salmonellosis outbreak and certain raw tomatoes. FDA does not include Tennessee grown tomatoes in the warning. In addition, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes and tomatoes with the vine attached have not been linked to the salmonellosis outbreak.

If you have purchased raw tomatoes recently and you do not know where they were grown, check with the place of purchase for more information. In addition to Tennessee, there are other states and countries where tomatoes are grown that are not included in the warning/recall. These are listed on FDA’s web site at http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/tomatoes.html.

What do you do if you have tomatoes that may be included in the warning, such as Roma tomatoes, plum tomatoes or round tomatoes? Cooking them will kill Salmonella bacteria. However, washing them in water may not be effective. It is best to discard them.

For other produce, cleaning in plenty of water is still a good idea. FDA does not recommend using soap or detergents. Vinegars have been shown to reduce numbers of some microorganisms on produce, but it depends on whether or not it can reach places more difficult to clean, such as the stem or blossom. A strong vinegar solution may also affect the flavor of produce.

What is a consumer to do? Pay attention to Food and Drug Administration warnings and recalls. Buy locally when possible. For more information on where to buy Tennessee produce, visit the Pick Tennessee Products web page.

For more information on food safety, contact your local Extension office.